Page 106 of Crosswind

"I'll prepare notes."

"Obviously," I say again.

He looks at me. "You already knew I'd say yes."

"The structure appealed to you," I say.

He looks at the ceiling. But the corner of his mouth goes.

We film it the following Saturday. Jan with his notes — three pages, printed, which I find genuinely endearing and do not mention — and me asking questions and staying out of the way.

Jan on Singapore Airlines: consistently the best long-haul product. The A350 routes specifically. He glances at me. I say nothing.

Jan on Patrick's airline: good value, reliable, the food has improved significantly in the last three years. A pause. The short-haul product is exactly what it needs to be and nothing more. He glances at me. I say nothing.

Jan on low-cost carriers generally: I fly them only when they are the only viable option. Which is occasionally the case. I don't enjoy it but I accept it as a logistical reality. Then, specifically, on the carrier that delayed him for four hours in Madrid: I don't want to discuss this.

"You have to discuss it," I say. "The audience needs to know."

He looks at the camera. Then he discusses it. With great precision. The four hours. The lack of information. The way the gate agent said we're working on it for the third time.

"Strong feelings," I say.

"Documented feelings," he says.

The video goes up Wednesday. By Friday it has more views than anything I've posted in six months. The comments are… I read them to Jan over breakfast.

jan's face when he says he doesn't want to discuss it is sending me

the documented feelings line. I need this man to review every airline

Patrick your boyfriend is carrying this channel

Jan rating airports next PLEASE

"Airports," I say.

He looks at me over his coffee.

"Connecting airports specifically," I say. "You have opinions."

"Patrick," he says.

"The audience is asking."

He looks at the ceiling. "You don't need to connect through airports when you live in Amsterdam," he says. "The whole world is one flight away from Schiphol. The connecting airport category is less relevant to my experience."

I look at him.

"That's a video," I say.

"That's a comment," he says. "I was explaining why the premise doesn't fully apply to me."

"Can I post that as a reply?" I say. "To the person who asked about Heathrow connections."

"No."

I wait.